Pumpkin Run Pulse

​There’s good reason Weebly is growing in popularity for pro writers, especially those who blog. It isn’t because Weebly provides simplicity in website design and building. It isn’t simple for everyone, but it’s not incredibly difficult either. It’s also not because Weebly pro versions are inexpensive. They aren’t. But, they’re competitive with other domain hosting companies.For me, as a pro writer, what sets Weebly apart from the others is in how it can be monetized and the Weebly support techs.I’ve written before about the support techs being the reason I stopped using Blogger. The ease and freedom of monetizing my site is the reason Weebly won over WordPress.Rather than give you the differences in the two, or further addressing Weebly’s Zen Desk, this post is to explain how I generate an income from the work I do on flashPress, which is a Weebly-hosted website, and how you can too, regardless if your site is a free or pro version of Weebly.

​Free? Pro? What’s the difference?

🔹Search Option: I have an optional search tool available for my guests. I opted to use it. It’s pretty cool.You’re a guest. If you’re looking for something specific on the site, you can use the search tool to find it, or any references to whatever it is you might be looking for, on the site.​

​🔹Independent Web Address: Something that many writers feel is worth using Weebly's minimal pro price package is the option to exchange the weebly.com on their site address to something of their own choosing. A good example is marcoujor's musings located at marcoujor.com. The site is owned by my colleague and friend, Maria Jordan who opted to personalize and secure her pen name as part of her platform and domain name. (A domain name is a website address.)

Moving on to money!

Bloggers and vloggers can monetize Weebly, whether or not they use the pro or free versions. Here are the methods I’m most familiar with, and use myself.🔹Google AdSense: This is my least fav method of generating income on flashPress, but at least it’s effortless. I signed up and have a few spots for ads here and there on flashPress. Google generates them. I just made the spots where they can appear and Google does the rest.🔹Amazon: I applied for an amazon associates account when I write about a product that’s available on amazon, I can incorporate a text or image link to it. If a guest clicks an amazon link, and shops on amazon, I can earn a commission for the product I promote as well as any other products a guest purchases from amazon during that same visit to the amazon site.I only promote products I love. Most of them are Ebooks. Ebooks are the one thing I don’t earn commission on from amazon. Go figure. 🔹Virtual Tip Option: This is my absolute favorite method of income generation on flashPress. I earn more income regularly via the virtual tip option than any other method on my site and it’s my favorite for several reasons.Virtual tipping provides a direct, fast transaction from the reader to me, via PayPal or Bitcoin. Most of the readers who tip me have become friends with me, both in person and virtually, which alleviates the transaction fee, unless they live in a country in which a fee is applied for transfer of funds.Readers can tip as much or as little as they want, as long as they don’t go below 3 cents USD. It’s done on a “want to” basis. It eliminates the need for paying a subscription fee. From post to post, a reader can decide if they want, or can afford, to leave a tip and the amount. No pressure--just the same decision I make when tipping the staff at a restaurant, or listening to some music or watching a performance by buskers, which happen to be some of my fav aspects of the indie biz community. flashPress receives monetary tips from both random and regular tippers. Some tips come from other bloggers, and others from readers. I use the same system to tip other bloggers and vloggers I follow, that have virtual tip jars installed on their site. Weebly makes it easy to add the option in the sidebars of their blog. It’s the same area some bloggers/vloggers use to add advertisements, widgets, subscription options and other types of info.If you know someone who’s already a blogger, or a vlogger who incorporates their videos into a blog post (see molometer’s blog-n-vlog for a great example), the Virtual Buskers’ Guild is another resource for information on how to easily generate income from an independent website. A blogger who writes for an independent not-for-profit site can do something similar, but would implement a donation option rather than a tip option.This pretty much covers how to do it. If I missed something, please let me via the comments or the contact page here on flashPress. ​

I'm glad you brought up your discount when purchasing the minimal version of Weebly to be able to incorporate your personalized site address (domain name). Another Weebly site owner purchases a domain name from another company and pays as little as $10 USD a year for the domain name and the minimal Weebly requirement. It work's well for her and she's now been with Weebly for three years. It serves as her virtual office and gallery and she does an occasional bit of blogging.

I'm also hoping our mutual friend will consider joining us in our virtual busking endeavors. She's a talent that would be a wonderful asset to the indie pro bloggers neighborhood in the indie biz community.

Reply

crazyhorseladycx

6/9/2017 02:28:11 am

howdy, ms. ange!

i still dunno what the heck a bitcoin'd be? but the rest'f the info 's most clear'n concise. hope yer feelin' better, hon.

big hugs!

Reply

Angelia

6/9/2017 12:31:44 pm

Hi CHL,

Bitcoin is "crypto-currency", it's a digital currency that isn't affiliated with any government--totally independent for buyers and sellers to use as they want, on what they want, without government interference.

The less government's involved in what I do, the better life is for me. ;)

Reply

Leave a Reply.

flashPress is a totally free site, but, if you like it and would like to leave a tip, I'll surely put it to good use on things like food, clothes, fuel for my auto, soap to shower with, etc. I think those qualify for seriously good use. ☺

Thanks for your support of the indie biz community--Live long and prosper!

Tipping made easy!

1.Click eitherPayPal or BitCoin2.Select friends or family option3.Issue to femmeflashpoint@gmail.com